Friday, August 17, 2007

Kumutoto green

Here's the first signs of the revamped public space at Kumutoto nearing completion: pohutukawa and grasses being planted along the western side of the Steamship Wharf building.

I was a little disappointed when I first found that the small raised lawns originally planned for the area weren't included in the revised designs, as we can't quite count this as "green space". But now I see that they're taking quite a clever approach by planting rows of tussock at irregular intervals between concrete strips, as it'll create the impression of walking through a lot of greenery while being usable in all weathers (which is something that can't be said for lawn). If they do get around to building the winning entry in the "toilet competition", which would be sited just behind where the background tree is, then this section of the "lane" will be a very pleasant public space. I just wish I could post some picture of the spectacular winning entry, but they're not for public distribution yet.

The main Kumutoto Plaza won't be ready until nearly the end of the year, but according to Meridian Energy, they'll be moving into their new HQ in just a couple of months' time. Whether or not there's a lot of literal green in the public spaces, the building will be even "greener" than I'd thought, incorporating some solar electricity generation as well as solar hot water. There's still no (public) word on what will be going in the ground floor, but the building itself just gets better and better the closer it gets to completion, and it should be a suitable flagship not just for sustainable design but for good urbanism and inspirational architecture as well.